Boy admits murdering  neighborhood ‘toughie’

He said he just wanted to scare a neighborhood “toughie” off, but jeers led him to killing the man instead. This was how a minor, who admitted being a member of a gang, narrated the incident that resulted to the death of a 26-year-old jeepney driver along F. Villa Street, barangay T. Padilla on November 2.

Convinced by his parents, the 16-year-old boy surrendered after three days in hiding to his neighbor, Insp. Vicente Velasquez, who is assigned to the Compostela Police Station.

The boy admitted shooting his neighbor Jeffrey Cañete, 26, using a .22 magnum revolver that was reportedly pawned to him by another friend who is also a minor. But denied he planned to kill the man.

In an interview, he said he shot Cañete so he couldn’t hurt him. He narrated that the victim is a neighborhood toughie who often bullied him, his elder brother, and his cousins.

Last November 2, he said he happened to pass by where Cañete and his friends were hanging out. The victim reportedly taunted him, saying “mao ni siya? Kagamay ani, ato ning birahan.”

Though he was sure that he was the one being talked about by the group, he pretended not to hear them. But when he again passed by the area on his way home, Cañete’s group was still there. He again overheard them saying “kulatahon ta ni”.

Alarmed by what he just overheard, the boy said he came back with his gun to scare Cañete. But the latter tried to attack him instead, forcing him to fire a warning shot.

“Ang ako man god adto nga hadlokon lang siya. Unya wala man modagan. Mohamag man hinuon maong akong gipasalbahan. Niharong man siya hinuon, mao tong akong gipusil,” the suspect told reporters yesterday.

Witnesses and the kin of Cañete have already given their statements and affidavits to the police.

Police said they’re looking into an angle on previous fights between the brother of the suspect and the group of Cañete that already led to the filing of charges, but was settled amicably two months ago. — Edwin Ian Melecio/MEEV